Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation Part 2 - Bible Verse Handbook

Session #2 - Apostolic Prayer: Transformed by Receiving the Spirit of Revelation (Part 2) Bible Verse Handbook

Prayer for revelation of Jesus' beauty that we might walk in our calling and destiny by God's power

16 I do not cease...making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding (heart) being enlightened; that you may know (experience) what is the hope of (confidence in) His calling, what are the riches (wealth) of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe… (Eph. 1:16-19)

II. WALKING IN CONFIDENCE IN GOD'S 3-FOLD CALLING FOR OUR LIFE

F. Premise #1:

2 Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove (openly display to others) what is that good and acceptable (satisfying) and perfect will of God. (Rom. 12:1-2)

G. Premise #2:

This will either liberate or trouble us. Only by revelation can we understand God's view.

15 For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. (Lk. 16:15)

III. OUR INTERNAL CALLING: TO BE A FAITHFUL DISCIPLE OF JESUS

A. Our internal calling in this life is to be a faithful disciple of Jesus that deeply loves God and embraces what the world calls foolish and weak (humility, serving, giving, fasting, praying and forgiving). We need revelation that this lifestyle of so-called weakness is valuable to God.

27 God has chosen the (so-called) foolish things of the world (Mt. 5-7 lifestyle) to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the (so-called) weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty…29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. (1 Cor. 1:27-29)

B. Our primary calling in this life is internal.

24 Then he who had received the one talent said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. (Mt. 25:24)

IV. OUR TEMPORAL EXTERNAL CALLING: TO FUNCTION FAITHFULLY IN SMALLNESS

B. Our temporal external calling includes our position (function) in the marketplace, a ministry organization or our home.

21 You were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. (Mt. 25:21)

17 You were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.
(Lk. 19:17)

D. Only a fraction of 1% of the Church is called to have a “large impact.” We must understand that these also have a larger demonic assignment against them. Paul called this a “thorn in the flesh.”

7And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted… (2 Cor. 12:7)

E. It is “His calling” for our life not one a calling that comes from our “own imagination.”

16 A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men. (Prov. 18:16)

H. The “hope of His calling” refers to having confidence that this calling is valuable to God, wise and good and certain to come to pass (if we yield to the Spirit).

19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast… (Heb. 6:19)

I•  We revelation about the value of our calling to intercession. Jesus appeared to 500 people after His resurrection

6  After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. (1 Cor. 15:6)

Only 120 of them had sufficient revelation of the value of intercession to come to the Upper Room for ten days of continual prayer

15  And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the  [ f ] disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said,  (Acts 1:15)

V. OUR ETERNAL CALLING: TO FUNCTION IN “BIGNESS” IN THE AGE-TO-COME

C. Our inner man can be daily renewed by the Spirit as we embrace the difficulty that goes along with being a faithful disciple of Jesus. This leads us to a greater calling in the age-to-come.

16 Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory… (2 Cor. 4:16-17)

18 The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Rom. 8:18)

D. We press of the prize to attain to our “upward” call.

25  And everyone who competes  for the prize  is temperate in all things. Now they  do it  to obtain a perishable crown, but we  for  an imperishable  crown. (1 Cor. 9:25)

8  Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. (2 Tim. 4:8)

14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God… (Phil. 3:14)

E. All three dimensions of our calling demand faith that God values what we do. (2 Cor. 4-6)

Paul writes about living in weakness

27  But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; (1 Cor. 1:27)

7  For we walk by faith, not by sight.  8  We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

9  Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.  10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things  done  in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.  11  Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.
(2 Cor. 5:7-11)

F. This life can be likened to a 70-year internship which prepares us for ministry in the age to come. Jesus gave a great promise to the compromising Laodicean church.

27  Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”

28  So Jesus said to them,  “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory,   you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.   (Mt. 19:27-28)

VI. BELIEVING LIES OUR ABOUT OUR CALLING LEADS TO MUCH UNNECESSARY PAIN

B. Many live in fantasy about how big their ministry impact will be. They formed their expectations around what “motivational self help teachers” told about going for great impact and money.

12 Hope deferred (expectations continuing to be unfulfilled) makes the heart sick... (Prov. 13:12)

H. God resists our efforts when we seek a big ministry (if it is contrary to His will) out of His desire for deeper relationship with us and in His commitment to work for our greatness. Many assume that the resistance they feel is only because of the devil or people who do not value their calling.

6 God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (Jas 4:6)

I•  Paul prayed that we receive revelation of the “knowledge of God”

17  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,  (Eph. 1:17)

Yet, Jesus knew His reward would come after His death.

4 I (Jesus) said, “I have labored in vain (in man's eyes), I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain (in man's evaluation); yet surely My just reward is with the LORD." (Isa. 49:4)

J. Is it too small a thing to be God's servants or do we need the guarantee of having a great impact? Korah was called by God to stand before Him in doing mundane work in the sanctuary.

8 Moses said, "Is it a small thing to you that God has separated you from the congregation to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle…? Are you seeking the priesthood also? 11 Therefore you are gathered together against the LORD." (Num. 16:8-11)

5“Do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh," says the LORD. " (Jer. 45:5)

L. Others have the exact opposite problem, they do not eagerly seek anything in ministry. They bury their talents in disregard of God's call on their life. Jesus calls this wickedness and laziness.

24 He who had received the one talent said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man…25 I was afraid, and went and hid Your talent in the ground….26 His Lord said, “You wicked and lazy servant….” 28 Take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. (Mt. 25:24-28)

VII. WE MUST BE RESOLVED TO GAIN REVELATION OF GOD'S CALLING IN OUR LIFE

A•  The truth sets us free

32  And you shall know the   truth, and   the truth shall make you free.” (Jn. 8:32)

B. It is significant that the leaders of the early Church prayed fervently and continually for this one issue of receiving the spirit of revelation about God's will or calling in people's life. Why were they so focused on this? Our entire life in God is dynamically affected by how we view this.

12 Epaphras...always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete (instead of despising or neglecting) in all the will of God. (Col. 4:12)

9 We...do not cease to pray...to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will (revelation of God's assignment) in all wisdom and spiritual understanding... (Col. 1:9-10)

16 I do not cease...making mention of you 17…to know the hope of His calling (Eph. 1:16-17)

C. Without a clear picture of what we want to be in God, we live careless. Without a clear vision and plan, God's people live undisciplined or without restraint (the people perish; KJV) in their passions, time and money. What we believe about where we are going forms how we live today.

18 Where there is no revelation (life vision), the people cast off restraint (discipline). (Pr. 29:18)

9 She (Israel) did not consider her destiny; therefore her collapse was awesome. (Lam. 1:9)

D. Seeing ourselves in God's drama changes us:

Josiah

2  Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the  Lord , and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the  Lord : ‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men's bones shall be burned on you.' (1 Kg. 13:2)

Nearly 300 years before

15  Moreover the altar that  was  at Bethel,  and  the  [ l ] high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he broke down; and he burned the high place  and  crushed  it  to powder, and burned the wooden image.  16  As Josiah turned, he saw the tombs that  were  there on the mountain. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned  them  on the altar, and defiled it according to the word of the  Lord  which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.  17  Then he said, “What gravestone  is  this that I see?”

So the men of the city told him, “ It is  the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel.”

18  And he said, “Let him alone; let no one move his bones.” So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria.

19  Now Josiah also took away all the shrines of the high places that  were  in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the  Lord  to anger; and he did to them according to all the deeds he had done in Bethel.  20  He executed all the priests of the high places who  were  there, on the altars, and burned men's bones on them; and he returned to Jerusalem. (2 Kg. 23:15-20)

Cyrus

28  Who says of Cyrus, ‘ He is  My shepherd,
And he shall perform all My pleasure,
Saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,”
And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.”

“Thus says the  Lord  to His anointed,
To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—
To subdue nations before him
And loose the armor of kings,
To open before him the double doors,
So that the gates will not be shut:
2  ‘I will go before you
And [ b ]  make the crooked places straight;
I will break in pieces the gates of bronze
And cut the bars of iron.
3  I will give you the treasures of darkness
And hidden riches of secret places,
That you may know that I, the  Lord ,
Who call  you  by your name,
Am  the God of Israel.
4  For Jacob My servant's sake,
And Israel My elect,
I have even called you by your name;
I have named you, though you have not known Me.
5  I  am  the  Lord , and  there is  no other;
There is  no God besides Me.
I will gird you, though you have not known Me,
6  That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting
That  there is  none besides Me.
I  am  the  Lord , and  there is  no other;
7  I form the light and create darkness,
I make peace and create calamity;
I, the  Lord , do all these  things. '

8  “Rain down, you heavens, from above,
And let the skies pour down righteousness;
Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation,
And let righteousness spring up together.
I, the  Lord , have created it. (Isa. 44:28-45:8)

Alexander the Great

5  And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat  had  a notable horn between his eyes.  6  Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power.  7  And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage against him,  attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him; and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand.

8  Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven.  (Dan. 8:5-8)

David

4  However the  Lord  God of Israel chose me above all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever, for He has chosen Judah  to be  the ruler. And of the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the sons of my father, He was pleased with me to make  me  king over all Israel. (1 Chr. 28:4)

Paul, and the apostles saw themselves in God's plans

28  So Jesus said to them,  “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory,   you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.   (Mt. 19:28)

47  For so the Lord has commanded us:

‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,
That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.' (Acts 13:47)  

6  Indeed He says,
‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.' (Isa. 49:6)

Apostolic Prayers and Prophetic Promises

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